Jez wrote:Im definitely going to get a separate book in the pacific conflict as so far that's been really interesting to read.

Hello Jez,

i am not sure if your interests are still aflame for the period as this thread is a few months old, but if you are still looking for something to read regarding the war against the Japanese, please consider "Road of Bones: The Epic Siege of Kohima 1944" & "Defeat Into Victory"

The second book "Defeat Into Victory,"was written by Field Marshal the Viscount Slim, commander of the British 14th Army in Burma and one of the architects of the Japanese defeat. He lead it to success in perhaps the most inhospitable Theatre of the war. Moreover he achieved this with arguably less support and resources than any other Allied commander in the field due to the 'Germany first' mantra of the time.

The campaign in Burma is almost criminally forgotten by most in the UK. Certainly Imphal & Kohima should be as well known as Waterloo and Trafalgar, Normandy and El Alamein...but alas collective amnesia has preveiled.

Last edited by STuG on Sat Mar 16, 2013 12:39 am, edited 1 time in total.

Finished all hell let loose some months ago, that was pretty good and varied reading. I'm currently about 450 pages into Anthony Beevors D-Day, that's kind of a slog...it's all very this or that batallion attacked that there hill or village and and it jumps about in that's fashion a lot. Occasionally it dips away from the factual events and goes into the thoughts and actions of individuals varying from hitler, Patton, monty and the like to the lowly soldiers and french folk. Those moments are few but are well worth reading.

Might read his book on Stalingrad though as that did seem the melting pot that turned the war as horrific as that battle environment must have been. Only trouble is I found the eastern front hard to read about due to a lot of the names being un fucking pronounceable and weren't sticking in my memory. Maybe though this will be more focussed and it'll stick better.

All the same having read these books I have learned so much more, much much more about this period that realistically changed the world and shaped it into what we have today. Although I work in a wholely military world it's amazing the ignorance and shrouding that forces in general are about all of this.

Jez wrote:All the same having read these books I have learned so much more, much much more about this period that realistically changed the world and shaped it into what we have today. Although I work in a wholely military world it's amazing the ignorance and shrouding that forces in general are about all of this.

Hello Jez,

you should really dip a toe into British Imperial history, especially considering where you are deployed at the moment. The fourth time we have been there since 1839.

The deeds and feats of arms accomplished are staggering at times during the high watermark of Victoria's reign across the globe.

As an aside, doesn't your Regiment reference its past history any more?

I'm in the navy though i serve alot with the army on land. but even so, I have found that on reading these books theres a wealth of difference between what you are told as part of corps/unit/service history and what actually happened. Obviously the positive aspects are recounted but not much on the negative things. Understandable I guess.

Two I have read, although a little while ago now are both memoirs from WW2. Both from the perspective of the Germans. The first:-

Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck

Hans von Luck was a Protégé of Rommel, Rommel was his commander while he was going through officer training. He served under him in North Africa and Normandy.

The second one:-

Panzer Leader by Heinz Guderian

Guderian needs no introduction, he is the man who invented blitzkrieg. His book starts before WW2 and goes through the difficulties of persuading the hierarchy of his theory and then onto the war itself.

After listening to Dan Carlin's Hardcore History series on WW1 and the horror of the Somme I decided to buy this. Written by a Private who survived the Somme and went home to write about it to trey and get some sense out of it. Not started yet, but I can't wait for it.